SEPARATION OF POSITIONAL ISOMERS AND ENANTIOMERS USING CAPILLARY ZONEELECTROPHORESIS WITH NEUTRAL AND CHARGED CYCLODEXTRINS

Capillary zone electrophoresis is a highly efficient analytical techni que that has been shown to be particularly useful for the analysis of isomers. The neutral chiral host compound beta-cyclodextrin is capable of resolving analytes that possess charged functional groups. The ena ntiomers of two cyclic amines are resolved in a single run using a bac kground electrolyte containing beta-cyclodextrin at pH 2.7, conditions under which the compounds are positively charged. In order to resolve the enantiomers of neutral analytes, it is necessary to use a chiral selector capable of being ionised, and examples are given of the separ ation of neutral positional isomers and enantiomers using a carboxymet hylethyl-beta-cyclodextrin at high pH.